FORT SCOTT — Heavy rainfall over the weekend wreaked havoc across southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri, leading to widespread flooding that inundated communities. The excessive rainfall, which began early Friday morning, caused rivers to swell beyond their banks, submerging roads, bridges, and buildings in its wake.
In Fort Scott, the Marmaton River surged to historic levels, reaching 47 feet on Sunday, well above the flood stage of 38 feet. This marked one of the most severe floods in recent memory and the third worst in the region’s recorded history. The most recent flooding of this magnitude occurred in 1986 when the river crested at a staggering 52 feet. The overflow forced authorities to close off sections of the city, including its schools, on Monday as residents dealt with the aftermath of the flooding.
Fort Scott bore the brunt of the weekend downpour, recording over 10 inches of rainfall since the onset of the storm.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Springfield, Mo., has issued a flood warning for the Marmaton River. The warning is set to remain in effect until early Wednesday morning. On Sunday morning, floodwaters breached the bridge deck along North National Avenue (US 54) in Fort Scott, rendering it impassable. National Avenue was submerged clear to the entrance ramps for US 69 North.
The flooding also wreaked havoc on regional highways, disrupting travel throughout the affected areas. Major road closures included sections of US 400 near Fredonia to US 75 near Neodesha, westbound US 54 at the entrance ramp from US 69 North, and eastbound US 54 between US 69 in Fort Scott and the Missouri state line.
As the floodwaters begin to recede in the coming days, Fort Scott City Manager Brad Matkin noted that there is still work ahead. “It’s cleanup time,” he said. “It’s going to take several days. We’ve got a lot of alleys and drains that we have to clear up before the next batch of rain or storms come.”
